3,2,1: Under 3 mg Valium people

[[Tr...]]

Im at 2 mg valium per day now. Cutting 0.5 mg every 2 weeks.

 

You’re moving right along Nikitis! Good work.

 

I have learned that 0.5mg in one month is way too fast for me. Going to have to do maybe half that much. Last month I dropped 16% and it’s been intolerable. Lesson learned.

I wondered if I did more would the withdrawal be worse or last longer? The answer is both. Worse and longer. 😑

I wish I could do that speed and be done.

 

How are you feeling?

 

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Im at 2 mg valium per day now. Cutting 0.5 mg every 2 weeks.

Great job Nikitis. Looks like your handling this quite well. I’m trucking along but still getting anxiety and having trouble eating. I just dropped to 1.75 2 days ago hoping to make it thru the next couple days since I usually get hit around days 3-6

Are you getting any wd?

[[Ni...]]

Im at 2 mg valium per day now. Cutting 0.5 mg every 2 weeks.

Great job Nikitis. Looks like your handling this quite well. I’m trucking along but still getting anxiety and having trouble eating. I just dropped to 1.75 2 days ago hoping to make it thru the next couple days since I usually get hit around days 3-6

Are you getting any wd?

No withdrawal here, other than feeling weird and out of it mentally the first few days after a cut but it stabilizes after those days. Feeling overall blunted though. Emotionless. Good luck bro we're gonna get out of this.

[[...]]

Im at 2 mg valium per day now. Cutting 0.5 mg every 2 weeks.

Great job Nikitis. Looks like your handling this quite well. I’m trucking along but still getting anxiety and having trouble eating. I just dropped to 1.75 2 days ago hoping to make it thru the next couple days since I usually get hit around days 3-6

Are you getting any wd?

No withdrawal here, other than feeling weird and out of it mentally the first few days after a cut but it stabilizes after those days. Feeling overall blunted though. Emotionless. Good luck bro we're gonna get out of this.

thanks Nikitis, I hope without a lot of sx

[[op...]]

Hi all -

 

I'm not quite at 3mg yet (almost) - I'm wondering how folks in this group who are cut-and-holding treat the 5-10% rule once you get down to 2mg and below. Do you still keep cutting only 5-10% (which I've mapped out and will take like a year!) or do you stick to more sizeable cuts? I'd appreciate any thoughts.

 

Nikitis - looks like you are continuing to cut .5mg all the way down?

 

I'm at 3.5mg down from 4mg and doing ok but having some pretty annoying w/d sxs ...

[[...]]

Hi all -

 

I'm not quite at 3mg yet (almost) - I'm wondering how folks in this group who are cut-and-holding treat the 5-10% rule once you get down to 2mg and below. Do you still keep cutting only 5-10% (which I've mapped out and will take like a year!) or do you stick to more sizeable cuts? I'd appreciate any thoughts.

 

Nikitis - looks like you are continuing to cut .5mg all the way down?

 

I'm at 3.5mg down from 4mg and doing ok but having some pretty annoying w/d sxs ...

Hey Openroad glad to see you here, welcome to the group, your close enough to 3 so stay with us. The 5-10% is general guideline, or a good starting point. I have read and found that a symptom based taper is good option. Be conservative to start, you can always speed it up. Listen to your body and journal your how you feel every day. For me my cuts I feel between 3-5 days after a cut. You may have an easier time focusing more on what you can handle vice looking at a calendar.

Holding longer and/or cutting smaller based on your symptoms. We are all different and the trap I have fallen into like many bbs is to compare how fast others are doing and thinking we can do the same. And once you get into bad wd it can be very hard to stabilize. Stabilized to me means you don’t feel great but you are functional to take care of yourself and other responsibilities. I’m certainly not an expert but have learned a lot on this forum and from my own mistakes. Bottom line listen to your body. Also to add it seems for most people when you get to the lower numbers it gets harder and have to slow down the taper. The 5-10% is of the remaining dose not the original dose. Hope this helps

Joeb

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Hey Tallgolfer how are things going

[[Fr...]]

Hi all -

 

I'm not quite at 3mg yet (almost) - I'm wondering how folks in this group who are cut-and-holding treat the 5-10% rule once you get down to 2mg and below. Do you still keep cutting only 5-10% (which I've mapped out and will take like a year!) or do you stick to more sizeable cuts? I'd appreciate any thoughts.

 

Nikitis - looks like you are continuing to cut .5mg all the way down?

 

I'm at 3.5mg down from 4mg and doing ok but having some pretty annoying w/d sxs ...

Hey Openroad glad to see you here, welcome to the group, your close enough to 3 so stay with us. The 5-10% is general guideline, or a good starting point. I have read and found that a symptom based taper is good option. Be conservative to start, you can always speed it up. Listen to your body and journal your how you feel every day. For me my cuts I feel between 3-5 days after a cut. You may have an easier time focusing more on what you can handle vice looking at a calendar.

Holding longer and/or cutting smaller based on your symptoms. We are all different and the trap I have fallen into like many bbs is to compare how fast others are doing and thinking we can do the same. And once you get into bad wd it can be very hard to stabilize. Stabilized to me means you don’t feel great but you are functional to take care of yourself and other responsibilities. I’m certainly not an expert but have learned a lot on this forum and from my own mistakes. Bottom line listen to your body. Also to add it seems for most people when you get to the lower numbers it gets harder and have to slow down the taper. The 5-10% is of the remaining dose not the original dose. Hope this helps

Joeb

 

Joes this is all really good info. What would you say to someone that crashed around 2.5 mg no longer functional and help almost five months which really didn’t help. It seems I can’t stabilize no matter what.

[[Ta...]]

Joeb,  HI  I'm OFFICIALLY IN the 3, 2 1 club.  WHOA!  I can't believe the finish line in in view.  I'm still functional but have a ton of symptoms.  How is everyone in the 3, 2, 1 group.  I tapered down from 20 mg.  Do we even have dose relief at this point. I was wondering since Heather Ashtom recommends jumping at 1 mg to .5 of Diaz/Valium.  I was on x originally and I find Diaz. to be very weak in comparison. 

[[Fr...]]

Hello, All!

 

I figured I'd jump in on this group as there doesn't seem to be an under .125 group for Xanax users.  I wasn't able to cross over to V years ago when I started this lengthy process (4 years of tapering and counting) but have "finally" reach .10 mgs of Xanax = @ 1-1.5 Valium equivalent. (Signature below).

 

I have many days when I honestly can believe that I'm here!  I've been symptomatic since day one of the taper but I started out in complete tolerance to the drug as I have been on it since 1998!  My symptom list has been vast over the years but to be honest, I'm no worse off now than I have been for the past year or so. 

 

Muscle issues plague me to this day and have for about 2 years now.  Every once in a while I get a a little break but I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that they won't be totally gone until I'm done with my taper.

 

Hope all are hanging in there for this last leg of the journey! 

 

Fondly,

Lori

 

Hi Lori

You are getting so close. May I ask what sort of muscle issues you are having? Mine is a lot of crushing muscle pain in my arms and legs. I feel like cement is crushing them and that the bones are broken. It has become intensified since holding. I am slowly tapering again but my just need to speed it up at get to healing. I am at 1.88 mg v equivalent right now.

[[Ta...]]

Wow. I totally have the muscle issues too.  sometimes my left thigh hurts but that is off an on.  But my chest, shoulders, ribs and neck are the WORST.  It's my most hated symptom and I sure hope it eases with time. 

[[...]]

Hello, All!

 

I figured I'd jump in on this group as there doesn't seem to be an under .125 group for Xanax users.  I wasn't able to cross over to V years ago when I started this lengthy process (4 years of tapering and counting) but have "finally" reach .10 mgs of Xanax = @ 1-1.5 Valium equivalent. (Signature below).

 

I have many days when I honestly can believe that I'm here!  I've been symptomatic since day one of the taper but I started out in complete tolerance to the drug as I have been on it since 1998!  My symptom list has been vast over the years but to be honest, I'm no worse off now than I have been for the past year or so. 

 

Muscle issues plague me to this day and have for about 2 years now.  Every once in a while I get a a little break but I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that they won't be totally gone until I'm done with my taper.

 

Hope all are hanging in there for this last leg of the journey! 

 

Fondly,

Lori

Welcome Lori glad your here. You are awesomely low. I really never understood the equivalencies from a tapering standpoint. Valium is supposed to be weaker but it seems still hard getting down lower. I often wonder when going off of it makes any difference to healing coming from a so called weaker benzo. If you or anyone else has a perspective on this I’d surely love to hear it

I’m going way slower than on Ativan but still feel like it’s really hard except less interdose wd

Joeb

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Joeb,  HI  I'm OFFICIALLY IN the 3, 2 1 club.  WHOA!  I can't believe the finish line in in view.  I'm still functional but have a ton of symptoms.  How is everyone in the 3, 2, 1 group.  I tapered down from 20 mg.  Do we even have dose relief at this point. I was wondering since Heather Ashtom recommends jumping at 1 mg to .5 of Diaz/Valium.  I was on x originally and I find Diaz. to be very weak in comparison.

congrats TG I don’t know about relief I was just asking that same question on my other post

I see a lot of people still tapering to zero I guess we’ll have to see as we get lower I’d hate to jump while being unstable or too soon

Joeb

[[...]]

Hello, All!

 

I figured I'd jump in on this group as there doesn't seem to be an under .125 group for Xanax users.  I wasn't able to cross over to V years ago when I started this lengthy process (4 years of tapering and counting) but have "finally" reach .10 mgs of Xanax = @ 1-1.5 Valium equivalent. (Signature below).

 

I have many days when I honestly can believe that I'm here!  I've been symptomatic since day one of the taper but I started out in complete tolerance to the drug as I have been on it since 1998!  My symptom list has been vast over the years but to be honest, I'm no worse off now than I have been for the past year or so. 

 

Muscle issues plague me to this day and have for about 2 years now.  Every once in a while I get a a little break but I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that they won't be totally gone until I'm done with my taper.

 

Hope all are hanging in there for this last leg of the journey! 

 

Fondly,

Lori

 

Hi Lori

You are getting so close. May I ask what sort of muscle issues you are having? Mine is a lot of crushing muscle pain in my arms and legs. I feel like cement is crushing them and that the bones are broken. It has become intensified since holding. I am slowly tapering again but my just need to speed it up at get to healing. I am at 1.88 mg v equivalent right now.

Hey FP hope you can get to feeling better I’ve had a couple rough days with anxiety and depression getting very sick of feeling this way and doing this. Like you I gotta make progress so after delaying my planned weekly cut a few days I’m going down tonight to 1.5 I hope it goes ok getting nervous as I am getting lower and the percentage is increasing

Joeb

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Hi Joeb!

 

As far as benzo equicalency charts go, they have a range.  People on BB tend to say 1 mg of Xanax = 15 mgs of Valium.  Pharmacology conversion sites tend to say that 1 mg of X = 10 mg of Valium.  I have absolutely no idea who is correct.  To be honest, I've been at this for so long and have met so many people on here tapering from each of the benzo's (Xanax, Ativan, Klonpin, Valium) and I'm convinced that it's equally problematic no matter which one you're on.  I have, however, seen many who had an easier time after switching over to Valium from a shorter acting benzo like Xanax or Ativan as it stays in your system longer (longer half life) which seems to help with the interdose w/d.  But tapering a benzo is "tapering a benzo".  They all have their unique challenges. 

 

Unfortunately, I had a terrible reaction to Valium 5 years ago after trying several doses while attempting a crossover per Ashton method and it forced me to put my taper on hold and regroup when I realized the crossover was an epic failure.  At that time I honestly didn't believe that a direct taper from Xanax was even possible. I was devastated because I had it all planned out with my doctor.  And low and behold, here I am - doing a 4 year direct taper and almost finished. 

 

Regarding your questions about healing from a "weaker" benzo, I honestly don't know.  I've seen people "step off lightly" and I've seen people struggle from all four of the major benzo's.  I honestly believe that it's all about going slow and listening to your body.  My experience was that rushing it during times when I was still extremely symptomatic was my biggest mistake.  I watched percentages more than how I was feeling.  Hence, I think that's the best advice that I can give.  If you go at a pace that allows you to be "functional" then you're in a better position to "walk off" of this without feeling much worse (if at all) then what you felt with each of the cuts. 

 

I'd really like to believe that healing is happening throughout the entire taper process.  Logically, I don't see how this can't be true.  If we're feeling every cut, then it's most likely because the body and CNS is saying, "Yo! What did you just do to me?.....  Oh crap! .... gotta start fixing these receptors that you keep messing with!"    I hope I'm right!    Again, logically there's a reason why I could stop taking this at .10 without a seizure risk but definitly couldn't do it at 4-6 milligrams.  Something MUST be healing along the way. 

 

Fondly,

Lori

Nice to hear back from you Lori, your journey is incredible! You are now so close to the end. You totally amaze me that you have been dry cutting the entire taper. You must have incredible patience and fortitude to keep doing it all this time. Thanks for the perspective and advice. Definitely need that to stay grounded and not rush the taper. I’ve been at it 9 months starting with Ativan which almost killed me going too fast before I read bb. Well I hope you stay with us on this thread, it gets lonely at times these days since it seems not a lot of people posting.

Keep in touch and good luck with the rest of your taper, I hope to be down that low soon, seems like forever

Joeb

[[...]]

Hi all -

 

I'm not quite at 3mg yet (almost) - I'm wondering how folks in this group who are cut-and-holding treat the 5-10% rule once you get down to 2mg and below. Do you still keep cutting only 5-10% (which I've mapped out and will take like a year!) or do you stick to more sizeable cuts? I'd appreciate any thoughts.

 

Nikitis - looks like you are continuing to cut .5mg all the way down?

 

I'm at 3.5mg down from 4mg and doing ok but having some pretty annoying w/d sxs ...

 

Hey Openroad how are you doing

Joeb

[[Tr...]]

Joeb,  HI  I'm OFFICIALLY IN the 3, 2 1 club.  WHOA!  I can't believe the finish line in in view.  I'm still functional but have a ton of symptoms.  How is everyone in the 3, 2, 1 group.  I tapered down from 20 mg.  Do we even have dose relief at this point. I was wondering since Heather Ashtom recommends jumping at 1 mg to .5 of Diaz/Valium.  I was on x originally and I find Diaz. to be very weak in comparison.

 

Hey Tall! Welcome!

I am on 2.45mg daily (0.45 at night, 1mg at 10am and 1mg around 2pm)

I don’t notice much relief from doses. It’s rough.

I did a 16% cut in December that was incredibly rough. I ended up quitting my job to focus on this for now. Ugh.

I had a few good moments last week one day - and decided to head down again. Only 2% this time. I’m on day 4-5 of 2% reduction and feel wacky. Floaty boat is back and my eyes just can’t make sense of what’s going on sometimes during the day.

I cry randomly, but still force myself out to go to yoga once a week.

So rough. Just want to be done!

How do you dose now that you’re at 3mg? How are you feeling?

 

[[Ta...]]

Hi Warriors,  I hope all is well with your taper.  It's kind of a mind game when we get down to this low.  It's like....so exciting to be almost off and very scary at the same time.  I'm symptomatic for sure but still working at the moment.  I have buzzing a lot of muscle tightening issues.  Other things seem to come and go.  At the moment my sleep is still decent.    How are you all doing? 

[[...]]

Hi Warriors,  I hope all is well with your taper.  It's kind of a mind game when we get down to this low.  It's like....so exciting to be almost off and very scary at the same time.  I'm symptomatic for sure but still working at the moment.  I have buzzing a lot of muscle tightening issues.  Other things seem to come and go.  At the moment my sleep is still decent.    How are you all doing?

Hey TG yea I’m getting nervous too as I get lower. I just dropped to 1.5 on Saturday and starting to feel a slight uptick in anxiety. It sucks that seeing daylight ahead things get harder. I also have periods of insomnia and some feverish feeling in the evenings. But manageable so far. I hate the feeling of not wanting to do anything but lay around. I go to the gym and force myself to do things around the house but get anxious and have to stop and lay down. I want this to be over.

Joeb

[[Tr...]]

What kind of timeframe are you all looking at going from 3 to drop off? What dose will go down to before you jump?

It looks like the most sensitive people (I’ve realized I’m in this group since I’ve been on daily benzos for 8ish years - and off and on for 20!) take about a year to go from 3 to none.

 

I’m so tired of this. I’ve been tapering since oct 2019.

It has sucked most of the time.

I want to move with purpose, but not be hasty and make things unbearable.

 

What are your thoughts?

Tree (44yo Mom of 2)

 

 

 

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What kind of timeframe are you all looking at going from 3 to drop off? What dose will go down to before you jump?

It looks like the most sensitive people (I’ve realized I’m in this group since I’ve been on daily benzos for 8ish years - and off and on for 20!) take about a year to go from 3 to none.

 

I’m so tired of this. I’ve been tapering since oct 2019.

It has sucked most of the time.

I want to move with purpose, but not be hasty and make things unbearable.

 

What are your thoughts?

Tree (44yo Mom of 2)

Hi Tree, I’ve only been on since April of last year, I’m really sensitive to the meds also which I’m basing mostly on my Ativan experience last year. I really went too fast. Since switching to Valium I have had a less rough experience but still hate my lack of a life and the wd. I started very conservative last nov tapering .25 every 2 weeks and it went ok (“bearable”). On New Year’s Day I decided to try .25 every week to see how it would go. So far it’s been about the same. Every 3-6 days I’d feel more anxiety then it wud subside. I was under 10% until I hit 2.5 and I’m slowly going up reaching 14% on my last cut to 1.5. I feel like I have to try. I’ve added some xtra hold days at the 7 day mark to be careful and I journal my symptoms so I can be more confident on how long to hold. I may have to go slower as I reach 1 mg. But we’ll see. I’m also not sure if I will continue dry cutting it’s very hard at this level and dosing 3 times a day. I definitely won’t jump any higher than .5 and may go lower.

We are all different, agree with a slow taper approach but I also believe you have to take some level of risk or this could be a long and painful life. Not sure if this helps but know that I feel your frustration and pain and hate this every day, I pray that we both make it out of this sooner and without suffering.

Joeb

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Hey all u 3 and under folks, how are you all doing ? Just checking in, I’m starting to feel my Saturday cut, can feel it more now that I’m lower in dose. More of the flu feeling and anxiety but still hanging in there. I hope I can continue this pace a bit so I can get off this poison sooner but we’ll see how goes this weekend.

Joeb

[[He...]]

You know what they say….it’s a marathon, not a sprint.  No harm in waiting a bit to let your body adjust.  Hope things are settling down for you

[[Tr...]]

Decided instead of a cut and hold this time (did 3.0 to 2.5 in dec to jan) I’m going to micro taper.

Every 3-5 days I’m going down a little bit.

Went to 2.45 on Feb 10th, then 2.43 on the 14th, then 2.42 on the 17th.

This seems pretty tolerable. I still feel weird between 10a-2pm but mostly level out in evenings.

Hormones about to go haywire in the next week, so I’ll probably hold for a bit near the end of the week.

 

[[Fr...]]

I am still really struggling doing a daily micro taper at about 3%. I can’t really get out of bed or talk much with our extreme stress responses. I wish I knew if I should speed  up and get it over with or if I would start to get better going slow. I am almost eight weeks in to starting to taper again and it isn’t much better plus the five month hold. A couple of different friends have said use your sleep as a guide to how fast to go since I can’t really gauge it on much of anything else since I am not functional. This is really hard guys!